Print

Best Cozy Slow Cooker Fall Harvest Vegetable Soup Recipe

slow cooker fall harvest vegetable soup - featured image
Print Recipe

This cozy slow cooker fall harvest vegetable soup is the dish that turned me around on slow cooker vegetable soups. It’s not complicated—no fancy techniques, no obscure ingredients—but it delivers the kind of warmth that makes you want to curl up on the couch and ignore your phone for an hour.

Ingredients

  • Butternut squash, peeled and cubed into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
  • Carrots, peeled and sliced into ½-inch rounds (about 2 cups)
  • Celery stalks, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • Yellow onion, diced (1 medium)
  • Garlic cloves, minced (4-5 cloves)
  • Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed (about 2 cups)
  • Vegetable broth, low-sodium (4 cups)
  • Fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with their juices (1 can, 14.5 oz)
  • Dried thyme (1 teaspoon)
  • Dried rosemary (½ teaspoon, crushed)
  • Bay leaves (2)
  • Salt and black pepper (to taste)
  • Apple cider vinegar (1 tablespoon)
  • Fresh parsley or thyme, chopped (for garnish)
  • Optional: Parmesan rind, cannellini beans

Instructions

  1. Prep your vegetables. Peel and cube the butternut squash into ½-inch pieces. Peel and slice the carrots into ½-inch rounds. Slice the celery. Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Cube the potatoes into ½-inch pieces.
  2. Layer the ingredients in the slow cooker. Start with the hard, dense vegetables: the butternut squash, carrots, potatoes, and celery. Add the onion and garlic on top. Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices and the vegetable broth. Add the dried thyme, crushed rosemary, bay leaves, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Do not stir yet.
  3. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. The soup is ready when the squash and potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.
  4. If adding delicate ingredients (green beans, zucchini, kale, spinach), stir them in during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If adding a Parmesan rind, drop it in at the beginning and fish it out before serving.
  5. Turn off the slow cooker. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Stir in fresh parsley or thyme if using.
  6. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with extra fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if desired.

Notes

For best results, cut vegetables uniformly (½-inch pieces). Do not overcrowd the slow cooker; it should be no more than two-thirds full. Resist lifting the lid during cooking. For deeper flavor, toast dried thyme and rosemary in a dry skillet for 30-60 seconds before adding. Season in layers: start with ½ teaspoon salt, adjust at the end. If soup tastes flat, add more salt or a second splash of apple cider vinegar. To thicken, mash some vegetables against the side of the slow cooker. To thin, stir in additional warm broth or water.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker, fall harvest, vegetable soup, butternut squash, cozy, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan

Find it online: https://hungermind.com/best-cozy-slow-cooker-fall-harvest-vegetable-soup-recipe/